A New War
by reptilia321
Summary: One year after the Mutant War, the world has, for the most part, returned to normal. The rulers live in harmony and Tony is finally adjusting to life in Minecraftia. However, a new threat begins to rise, threatening not only the humans of the world, but the very balance of nature. Sequel to "A New Meaning"
1. Prologue

The King examined the leftover rubble of the wall. It was the most recent in a string of attacks that were plaguing the human settlement. He looked at the area observantly. The blocks leftover floated randomly. Steve rubbed his gray beard. ' _These blocks… this wasn't the work of a Creeper. They were broken on purpose from the outside…'_ He approached and looked at the blocks outside of the thick wall. They were, in fact, broken sporadically, further proving the wall was broken by hand. Steve looked around and found another strange clue: The ground. In the spot directly behind the wall, the ground was completely barren. The elder King rubbed his chin once again. "Hm…"

In the desert, a lone village stood. The denizens went about their day peacefully as the sun shined bright. Just outside of the village, two figures were walking away. The one in front walked with her head high and her arms folded. The other lagged behind a bit, walking a bit more relaxedly. The lead girl looked back. "Terra, will you please hurry? We mustn't be late!"

Terra scoffed. "Late? Grace, you're kidding, right? This event is probably going to last all night!"

"That's no excuse for tardiness. Besides, what would Tony think if his friends were late to his own celebration?"

Terra smirked. "I doubt he would notice with how much Slag and Mire harass him. Not to mention Hex's stalking."

Grace sighed. "I guess that's a good point. However, I would imagine Rube would have quite a few choice words."

"Alright, alright. Let's get a move on." Terra pouted.

In an average wooden house, a young man laid down, asleep. He snored lightly as the sunlight began to creep in. As it touched his face, he tried to turn over, but found he could not. Tony's eyes fluttered open to find that he was not alone; Hex laid on top of him, a smile gracing her lips. Tony felt his face heat up, but he just sighed. He tried to gently escape from her death grip, but she only held tighter. Tony sighed. ' _I should be used to this by now…'_ He remembered how Hex snuck into his home almost every night for a month after the Mutant War. ' _Transitioning from public enemy #1 to a rightful ruler must've been hard, but it's been… it's been…'_ Tony felt his eyes widen as he remembered what day it was. He looked around frantically as he tried to find any possible way to escape from Hex's grip.

After an unsuccessful attempt, he decided to just wake her up. "Hey, Hex. _Hex_."

"..."

"Hex… wake up."

"Hm…?" Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled at the sight of the boy looking at her. "Oh… hi."

"Hex… do you know what day it is?"

The witch had to think for a moment before jumping out of the bed. "Oh my Notch! You're right! What are you waiting for?"

Tony sighed, smiling. "Nothing, I guess. Do you know what time the fair starts?"

Hex put a hand to her chin. "I think it starts in an hour or so."

"Oh man. I can't believe I overslept. I should probably get ready. King Steve is probably not going to like it if I'm late."

"Well, the party doesn't start for another hour." Her eyes were full of mischief. "Besides, I'm sure you can be… a little bit late." She put her hands on her hips as she smirked. Tony blushed as he realized what she was implying. He stood up, trying to ignore his fluster. "W-w-we should get r-ready. Heh heh!" He immediately ran upstairs to get dressed. Hex giggled at his embarrassment.

It only took a few minutes for the boy to return in a change of clothes. He held his iron sword, making sure it was fully repaired and ready. ' _In this world, you never know what'll happen next.'_ He sheathed the weapon before going to a nearby chest. Hex laid on the bed, watching. "What could you possibly need? The human settlement should have everything you need."

"I haven't been able to mine any emeralds lately, so I can't really buy anything. Besides, I don't need to spend the emeralds I do have on things I already have."

"Makes sense. If you needed emeralds, why didn't you just wake up earlier?" Tony sighed in defeat as Hex giggled. "I'm kidding. I probably should have woken you up."

"Don't worry about it, but I have to wonder, why were you sleeping in my bed again? I thought you would have adjusted to living at the Village Castle by now."

"I have adjusted, but Rube sent me here to see if you were ready for the celebration. Whoops."

Tony laughed. "Well, I'm up now. I guess it won't really matter. The actual ceremony won't start until an hour after the guests arrive. We should have time to meet up with everyone before it starts." Tony smiled at the thought of seeing his friends at the celebration. It had been exactly one year since the end of the Mutant War. King Steve declared it a monumental anniversary and decided to hold a ceremony in honor of the warriors who fought in the war. Because of that, the mob rulers were invited into the human settlement along with the village rulers, with the exception of Hex. She didn't mind; she understood why.

As Tony looked through the chest, Hex wrapped her arms around him. Tony stopped as he felt Hex's breath on his neck. She just laid her head on his back, savoring the moment. Tony smiled as he continued going through the inventory. Hex's words caused him to pause. "Maybe I'm lying. About adjusting, I mean."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well, I want to feel at home with the others, but I… I really want to get used to waking up with you."

"Get used to… you mean…" The conversation was interrupted by the front door slamming open. Tony and Hex looked in shock to see Saber and Skelli at the door, weapons raised.

The former looked at the sight in front of her and sighed with relief. "Phew. We made it on time."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "On time? For what? Did something happen?"

Skelli smirked. "Rube told us she sent Hex to get you, so we ran over here to make sure she wasn't, uh, "overstaying" her welcome."

Heex blushed, fuming. "Hey! I wasn't trying to keep him here! Well, maybe a little, but it's not like I wanted to make him late!"

Saber rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We'll wait outside. Just hurry up!" With that, Saber and Skelli closed the door.

Tony looked back at a suddenly bashful Hex. "So, where were we?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing. Nevermind. We should hurry." The witch said, smiling sadly.

After the duo finally prepared-and Saber scolded them- the group began to make their way to the human settlement. The walk was rather uneventful and it didn't take too long as the group began to see their destination just over the horizon. Tony felt butterflies in his stomach as they neared the area. The celebration would require him and the rulers to stand on a stage as King Steve makes a short speech. Tony scratched his chin at the thought. He never liked being in front of crowds, much less an entire city.

The doors to the kingdom were wide open, unafraid on this day of peace. Saber smirked. "Humans really are trusting. They left the doors wide open as a sign of trust for the mob rulers."

Skelli rubbed her neck. "As if we'd be dumb enough to attack this many humans at once. Speaking of being dumb enough for that, we should probably hurry before Yaebi gets any ideas." As they approached, they saw the rest of the rulers waiting at the gates. "Hey! Over here!"

The group looked and waved. Rube stepped forward. "Greetings. You certainly took your time."

Tony blushed a bit. "Yeah, I woke up late." Hex snickered. The human looked at the rest of the rulers in confusion. "Why are you all waiting out here? Shouldn't you be inside to prepare for the speech?"

Andr suddenly appeared beside the boy. "It would seem that humans get nervous around mobs. Who knew?"

"So, we all decided to wait together until you showed up." Rube said.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Me? Why on earth would you need me?"

"Are you kidding? You are, like, the mascot for the humans! If they see you with us, we can probably go through town without being gawked at." Lattice, the spider ruler, spoke.

Tony sighed before looking at his comrades. Now that he was closer, he could see them much more clearly. They all wore their usual attire, but they seemed more… cleaned up. Tony suddenly felt a bit self-conscious.

The group began heading inside, Tony leading the way. As they walked, Atlas began walking beside him. She leaned closer and whispered. "I'm glad you made it." "I'm glad I did. Still a bit nervous." Tony whispered in reply.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah. I didn't have time to get very well-dressed, but everyone else did! You look great!"

Atlas a bit as she smiled. "Thanks, but you look very handsome. You shouldn't worry."

A new voice joined in the whispering. "What are you two prattling on about?" The duo was surprised to find Yaebi tailing behind them, annoyed. He rolled his eyes. "You have no idea how tiring it is to see you two so lovey-dovey all the time."

Atlas blushed. "W-we're not being "lovey-dovey". We're just having a conversation."

Yaebi smirked. "I can practically hear the wedding bells-" His banter was interrupted by a sudden smack to the back of his head. Mire frowned at him. "Stop teasing them! Besides, I don't think you're one to talk, Dead Head!"

Yaebi glared at the slime. "What are you talking about?"

Slag suddenly stepped in, gesturing to Hamilton, who was conversing with the other rulers. "It is so obvious you've got a thing for Ms. Hamilton over there."

Yaebi's face suddenly turned red. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about." He glanced back for a moment. "Has she, uh, said anything about me?"

Slag and Mire rolled their eyes before turning back to Tony and Atlas. "So, what _are_ you two talking about?" The latter asked.

Tony smiled. "Hi, Slag. Hi, Mire. Thanks."

"Don't mention it, but you'd better spend a little time with us at the celebration!" Slag said, winking. Tony nodded, but a light blush appeared on his face.

The group made their way toward the citadel in the center of town, where the speech was being held. On the stage, King Steve waited, talking with some of the citizens. When his gaze landed on the group, he excused himself and grinned. "Friends! Welcome!"

Tony approached and shook his hand. "Glad to be here, Your Majesty."

"None of that. Formalities are for business meetings. This is a celebration! Are you ready?"

"Honestly, I'm a bit nervous."

"Well, I'd imagine so. You all are being rewarded with a very special honor! Even I'm feeling nervous!" He looked at the sky, finding the position of the sun. "Ah, it's almost time. Places everyone! The ceremony is about to begin!"


	2. Party Crashers

"Hello and welcome to this fantastic occasion!" King Steve said, his voice booming from the stage. The crowd went wild with enthusiasm. Steve smiled and cleared his throat. "On this day, exactly one year ago, we achieved victory over the mutant threat that plagued us for so long. This victory could not have been achieved if it hadn't been for one, sole principle: unity. Through a common enemy, the mobs, villagers, and humans stood together and triumphed. Not only that, but our common enemy has now become a kind ally." He nodded to Hex, who sat on a house in the back of the crowd. She smiled and nodded back. Steve continued. "Truly, if there is one lesson to be had from this, it's that even the most evil of forces can stand no ground against the principles of friendship, harmony, and loyalty. Now, representatives from each group shall speak. Please give them your undivided attention." He stepped back as Rube and Skelly stepped forward. Tony looked on in curiosity. ' _Representatives? He can't mean…'_

Rube stepped forward and smiled. "Greetings everyone. My name is Rube and I shall be today's representative for the village rulers. The King's speech covered many important topics, all eloquently spoken. The only thing I can add is my sincere hope that this day of friendship is a sign of a long-term peace to come. Thank you." She bowed and stepped back, the crowd clapping.

Skelly stepped forward now. "Hello. My name is Skelly and I shall be today's representative for the mob rulers. For as long as anyone can remember, the mobs have been at odds with the humans and villagers. We kill and maim each other with no real motive or gain. However, last year's events showed me that my views on humans were… incorrect. Last year, I met a human who made my views change. It was a tough road, but it paid off in the end. I just want to assure you that, even if we are enemies, today we shall celebrate as friends. Thank you." The crowd cheered as she went back to her seat.

King Steve returned to the stage and grinned. "Let's not forget our final representative. He came to this settlement to enlist our help, winning his very first survival game! He was thrown into our world and our problems, but still offered aid. I'd like to introduce your human representative!" He gestured to a surprised Tony, causing the crowd to cheer frantically.

The human's face turned bright red as he stepped forward. He looked at the cheering crowd with dread and gulped. "Uh… well, I was not expecting this. H-hello, everyone! I-I'm, uh, glad to be here. I didn't exactly have a speech prepared, but I don't think I can add anything to the speeches preceding this one. All I can say is… over a year ago, I came to this world feeling, well, useless. I didn't expect that I'd be where I am now. All I can say is… thank you all for allowing me to be here." He sat back down as the crowd cheered.

He took his seat next to Atlas, who smiled at him. "Hey, that was pretty good! Tony?" She looked at the boy. His face was completely red and his body was trembling. He sighed in relief as he sunk in his seat. Atlas smiled and giggled. "I guess that was pretty nerve wracking."

King Steve gave his closing speech, signaling the beginning of the celebration. The entire human settlement was in a celebratory mood. Vendors were open, selling foods and items of all kinds. Game kiosks were held, offering a variety of prizes. Tony walked along the stone path near the Citadel, smiling at the cheer. Some humans, both children and adults approached him to mingle and talk. The little ones acted like he was some kind of superhero while the adults treated him like any other human. It was pretty great! As he walked along, Slag and Mire ran up to him.

"Hey! Tony!" The latter exclaimed.

The boy smiled. "Oh, hey guys. How are you enjoying the party?"

Slag smirked. "It's pretty great, but don't think we forgot our agreement!" She said, holding up a potion of fire resistance.

Tony chuckled. "Alright, alright." He took the potion and drank, instantly feeling the effects. Slag immediately latched onto his arm, harmlessly, while Mire held the other one. Tony blushed a bit as the girls began walking towards some of the game kiosks.

Tony spent an hour or two with Slag and Mire, going from kiosk to kiosk to check out the games and food. Tony couldn't help but grin when he saw their faces. ' _Wow, they look so happy! Happier than I've seen them in a while. Even I have to admit that this is pretty fun, but…'_ Tony sighed as he readjusted himself. He was currently holding a stack of prizes he and the girls won. ' _... I should really find a chest to store all of this…'_

Suddenly, the stack of prizes in Tony's hands collapsed as a figure jumped over him. The newcomer landed between him and the slime girls before standing up and revealing herself to be none other than Hex.

"I've finally found you!" She turned to Tony and held his arms. "They didn't try anything, did they?"

Slag rolled her eyes. "Come on, Hex. Give us a bit more credit. We've matured enough not to attack him immediately."

Hex's eyes suddenly fell to the prizes at her feet and the sweat beginning to form on Tony's brow. She scoffed. "You've matured alright. You've probably been making Tony carry this stuff all day so he'd be too tired to avoid your lewd activities!" Slag and Mire's faces went bright red as they began to sweat a bit.

The latter put her hands up, defensively. "D-don't listen to her, dear! She's-" The group was shocked to see Tony had disappeared!

Tony closed his eyes when he felt the evening wind pushing against him. He shielded his eyes enough to catch a glimpse of who was carrying him. Skelli looked back at him with a humored grin. "Well, hello. I hope those slime dolts and that stalker of yours weren't ruining the party for you."

Tony felt his cheeks flush at the close proximity as Skelli carried him as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. "N-n-no! I was fine. Maybe we should go back before they get mad."

Skelli cackled. "Mad? As if I'm worried. Besides, I wasn't doing anything too fun anyways, so I thought I'd swoop in and get you to… _entertain_ me."

' _I don't know if I like the sound of that.'_ Tony thought as Skelli paused on a rooftop a bit farther from the Citadel. She set the human down and walked to the edge of the roof, staring back at the party area. Tony looked at her for a moment before joining her. They both looked on as the party just continued, even though the sun was beginning to set.

Skelli broke the silence. "Do you remember when we came here during the Mutant War?"

Tony was taken back by the sudden question, but nodded. "Yeah. You and Saber argued for a majority of the time we travelled." He said, chuckling.

"Yeah, good times. I remember everyone's face when you were getting ahead in the competition. The humans doubted what you were and Saber and I doubted your abilities."

"Yeah, but it all worked out in the end. Look at where we are now."

"I know where we are. On a rooftop in the human settlement… _alone_."

"Yeah, we're-" He suddenly halted as he felt a strange atmosphere around him. Not one very different from his time with Hex. He slowly looked at Skelli, who was suddenly inches from his face. He fell on his butt, looking up at the ruler in front of him.

The look in her eyes was reminiscent of a predator looking at its prey, which was even more accurate when she licked her lips. "I've finally got you all to myself. The others always play tug-of-war with you, so we never get a chance to play. But you know my method, Tony. Always wait for an opening." She grinned as she pounced toward him…

… but suddenly stopped when a scream rang throughout the kingdom. The duo quickly stood and looked around, trying to pinpoint the source. Suddenly, more screams began to reverberate, the source being the Citadel. Tony stepped forward, but was stopped when Skelli grabbed him and held him close. "Hang on!" She said before leaping from rooftop to rooftop. She looked at the human in her arms. "You really owe me some alone time later!"

Tony and Skelli arrived in mere moments to find an unusual sight: mobs and humans alike were being attacked by a horde of… wolves? Tony unsheathed his sword as several of the dogs began charging him and Skelli. They stood back to back as the feral wolves charged in. "What in the world is going on? How did a pack of wolves get into the settlement? Especially a pack this big!"

"I don't care! These mutts interrupted me, so now they're going to have to answer to my blade!" She said, slashing with renewed vigor. Snarls and growls emanated throughout the area as wolves were slain one by one. Unfortunately, ill prepared humans were also brought down by the beasts. Tony cursed under his breath as more wolves surrounded him and Skelli.

"We can't keep holding them back! We need to-" Skelli's words were interrupted by a sudden rain of lava falling down onto the wolves. The duo looked on the roof above them to see a fuming Slag and Mire looking down at them.

"I have quite a few words to exchange with you, Skelli." Slag warned. The wither skeleton ruler just shrugged with a smirk.


	3. Together

The aftermath of the attack was pure chaos. The wolves retreated after their numbers dwindled, but the damage was done. Many humans and villagers alike were injured from the sudden assault. The mob and village rulers tended to the wounded while Tony spoke with Steve. The King looked at his subjects, a worried expression on his face. "This is an unusual tragedy. The wolf attack was bad enough, but my scouts are saying we've lost two-thirds of our livestock!"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "You think that's why the wolves attacked? They were hungry?"

"I thought the same thing, but there are no leftover items. No wool, no meat, nothing! Instead of killing the animals, it's as if the wolves… let them out."

"That's not possible."

"I implore you, young one, do not doubt this world. I have seen many things in my lifetime. Impossible is no longer in my vocabulary. However, I don't think the wolves came on their own free will. Earlier today, a good chunk of our outer wall was destroyed. It was destroyed _very_ particularly. I believe it was sabotage."

Tony was afraid of what he was implying. "Your Majesty, you don't think the mob rulers-"

King Steve held his hand up, a patient calmness forming on his face. "Calm yourself, Tony. I don't think the mob rulers are at fault here. Although, I can't speak for my subjects. It would probably be best if you and the rulers return home for the night. We should have most of our livestock back in a few days, but the damages will take a bit longer to fix. I'll do my best to keep any panic at bay, but…" He gave Tony a solemn look. The boy understood. With such a calamity happening on the same day as mobs being invited into the kingdom, it would only be a matter of time before some humans began pointing the finger at the mobs. Tony nodded and gathered his friends as they left the human settlement. Unbeknownst to any of them, a pair of glowing eyes watched from the forest, a slight giggle being heard.

Tony laid in his bed as soon as he returned home, contemplating the events of the day. How could all of those wolves conduct a synchronized attack on the settlement _and_ release the livestock? ' _Someone had to be controlling them, but they all looked feral. No collars to prove they were tamed. Although… could another human really do this sort of thing?'_ The thoughts lingered in his mind as he fell asleep. Not noticing the shadow that loomed over him…

Sunlight once again shined onto the face of the young human as he tried to lift his hand to cover shield his eyes. However, he felt the familiar sensation of immobility as a slight weight shifted on top of him. He looked at Hex, who was wrapped snug in his blanket, arms around him. He blushed like crazy. This was a bit more intimate than any of Hex's other "sleepovers". Her hat was sitting beside the bed and her day clothes were tossed aside. Tony gulped as he looked under the blanket, but sighed in relief as he saw she wore a black nightgown. Although, her attire begged the question. ' _Did she sleep here through the entire night?'_ He gently tapped her shoulder. "Hey. Hex. Hey." He whispered. The witch seemed to shiver excitedly at the close proximity of the whisper. Her eyes fluttered open and her lips broke into a grin. "Hello, love."

"Hex, you slept here again… and you brought nightwear?"

"Of course. I'm not going to sleep in a dress."

Tony sighed. "Hex, you can't keep doing this. If you keep sleeping here, you won't get comfortable with the Village Castle."

Hex remained silent as her fingers danced on Tony's chest. "That's… that's something I want to talk to you about…" Tony looked at her in confusion, but suddenly felt his face turn red as she suddenly laid on top of him. She looked away with a blush. "Remember when I brought you to the Nether?"

"O-of course! W-w-why do you ask?" He stammered. Hex laid her head on his chest, trying to find the right words. "Do you remember… the ring?"

Tony's expression became a tad more serious. "Yeah…"

"Well, I… that's the reason I've been sleeping here so much. You keep telling me to get used to being around my sisters, but I can't stop thinking about you. I dream of being with you, waking up to your face, waking up to your smile. I dream of us having a simple married life and even having a child. I dream of _us_." She said, burying her face in his chest, holding on to him as if it were for dear life. Tony felt his heart pound at her confession. He knew Hex had feelings for him, but he had no idea just what the scale was. The witch sniffled a bit. "But… I know how you feel about the others. Slag and Mire. Skelli and Atlas. I know you can't break their hearts. That's why I'm making the most of this time. Even if you don't choose me, I still have this moment." She looked up at him with stars in her eyes. Tony didn't know what to say. He knew he held some type of emotional attachment to Hex. However, he felt the same attachment to the others. He did the only thing he could think of doing and wrapped his arms around the witch, offering a comforting embrace. She was surprised at first, but then smiled as she held tighter. The moment was peaceful, but it wasn't long before Hex held a mischievous grin. She looked at Tony, her nose rubbing against his as she pushed her chest onto his. "You know, we don't have to go anywhere today."

Tony felt his temperature rise from the sudden suggestion. "W-w-well, we can't j-just waste the day."

Hex smirked as a light blush fell across her face. "Well, I don't think it'd be a waste. I can feel your heart beating. You're excited!" She traced her fingers along his chest. "Don't worry, I am, too." She closed her eyes in relaxation, but suddenly remembered something. "Oh no, you said you needed to mine some emeralds today, huh?"

Tony nodded, his face still red. He was surprised that she remembered their conversation yesterday. Hex stood, smirking. "I'll come with you. Emeralds aren't too easy to find."

Tony regained his composure. "Really? Thanks, Hex. Give me a moment to gather my things." He rose from the bed and stretched before heading to the nearest chest. Hex went downstairs to prepare some potions for the trip. As she worked, she couldn't help but place a hand on her cheek. She sighed. ' _Look at me. Waking up with him, preparing for a day of adventure. It's like we're already married. Nothing can ruin this-'_ Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hex Raised an eyebrow as she answered. "Atlas?"

The librarian looked a bit surprised at Hex. "Oh, greetings Hex. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I came for Tony's assistance. Is he here?" The question was answered when Tony called from upstairs. "Hex, is someone at the door?" He walked down and smiled. "Oh! Hey, Atlas. What's up?"

The librarian pushed her glasses up. "Good morning, Tony. I was hoping you could help me with something. I'm on my way to the human settlement to study the wild animals around it. I'm hoping to aid in finding out what happened to the settlement's own supply of livestock."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I'd love to help, but I don't know if I could provide anything useful. I don't know much about animals."

"That's fine. I could use help wrangling some of them. Besides, I'd appreciate the company." Hex suddenly felt her blood boil. ' _That little- she's trying to get him alone! I… I… I am actually impressed. I never pegged Atlas to be the crafty type. Well, two can play at that game.'_ She thought as she suddenly stood between Atlas and Tony. "I'll go, too! I'm sure you could use all the help you could get!"

Atlas smiled. "Really? Thanks!" Hex grinned, figuring out Atlas' plan.

Hex frowned, bored out of her mind. Tony held wheat in his hands, coaxing several animals towards him. Atlas scrawled notes into her book, observing the creatures. ' _Okay, maybe she isn't so crafty.'_ Hex thought. She looked at her sister. "This is taking forever. How much can you possibly write about how animals eat?"

"I'm just seeing if their behavior changes at all. Didn't you volunteer to help?" Atlas said, eyes planted in her book.

"Maybe someone just took the animals. With all of that chaos last night, it would not have been that hard."

Tony pet a cow in front of him and shrugged. "I don't know about that, Hex. It would have to take someone an incredible amount of control to guide an entire herd out of that chaos. Who would have that power, though?" Just as he spoke those words, the creatures in front of him began to step back. Tony noticed and held out the wheat, but they seemed to step back even more. "Strange. What are they do-" Suddenly, one of the cows charged at him, knocking him back a few feet. Tony was dazed by the sudden impact and looked at the cow… only to find several chickens charging at him. Before he could get up, they surrounded him, pecking at every part of his body. "Yow! Guys! Get these chickens off of me!" Hex reached into her inventory for a potion. "Don't worry! I- oof!" Before she could react, several sheep knocked her down. Atlas looked at her comrades as she pulled out her sword, rapidly slashing at the animals. "Shoo! Get off!" She yelled. The creatures scurried away in fear, leaving the group in shock. Tony looked at Atlas. "I… I think there was a change in behavior."


	4. Bunny

"Lacy! I'm coming for you!" Lattice yelled as she hopped from tree to tree in the dense jungle. Lacy giggled as she ran from her sister just as quickly. The spider girls had been playing all morning, tagging back and forth. Lacy knew her sister was gaining, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She quickly made a quick motion with her hands and spun a series of webs right behind her. Lattice had no time to react as she ran into the webs, successfully trapping herself. She glared at her younger sister. "That's cheating!"

"That's _strategy_!" Lacy said, smugly. She didn't see Lattice making a similar hand motion as a web suddenly stuck to her side, pulling her toward her angry sister. Lattice caught Lacy and rubbed her head. "Gotcha, you cheater! Ha!"

"You are such a- wait, do you hear that?" Lacy said.. Lattice listened and found that she was right. There was a strange noise in the forest.

A crying noise.

The girls slowly and sneakily climbed through the trees to look for the source of the mysterious noise. Eventually, they reached a clearing and found a truly strange sight: a large group of bunnies were surrounding someone! They couldn't tell who it was under the fluffy mass of creatures, but they knew what to do. Lattice and Lacy ran up to the mass, waving their arms wildly. "Hey! Shoo! Scram, you dumb rabbits!"

Lacy bared her fangs at the rodents. "Hiss! Go away!" She said. The rabbits were definitely spooked and most scurried off in random directions. A few stayed, of course, but the spider girls could finally see who was crying under them. It was a girl. A young girl about Lacy's age. She was curled up into a ball on the ground, still crying into her knees. The girls took a step back. This girl was not an ordinary cube human. She wasn't blocky. Lattice held an arm out, gesturing Lacy to stay in her spot. She approached the crying girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Uh… hey?"

The girl immediately stopped crying and looked up at Lattice, causing the spider girl to suddenly notice the girl's defining features: atop her head was a pair of large bunny ears. Behind her, a fluffy tail wiggled in curiosity. She wore nothing but a long white gown. The girls were stunned into silence until Lacy ran up and hugged the girl. "Can we keep her!?"

Tony, Atlas, and Hex walked to the former's home, trying to figure out what just happened. Tony sighed as he opened the door. "Well, that was embarrassing. I was taken down by poultry."

"At least you weren't bested by walking leather." Hex grumbled.

Atlas jotted down a few more notes in her notebook before putting it away. She sat at the table, trying to think of any solution. "There has to be a reason those animals suddenly went berserk. Tony, where did you get that wheat?"

"It was just normal wheat from the local village. There shouldn't be anything wrong with it." Tony said, examining the leftover wheat he had. He put it away before looking at his friends. "You guys haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Atlas blushed. "I guess I left the castle so quickly that I didn't even think about it."

Hex shrugged. "I was going to pack snacks for our emerald trip, but that was interrupted." She glanced at Atlas, accusingly.

Tony laughed. "So we all forgot to eat? Well, give me one second." He went to his nearest chest and looked around until he found a few apples. "Here you go."

Atlas smiled at the red orb in her hand. "Thank you, Tony."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Tony opened it, surprised to find a gasping Skelly. He was about to ask what was wrong, but she held up a hand. "Come with me… now."

No one knew how to respond to the sight in front of them. Skelly had brought Tony, Hex and Atlas to the Village of Shade, only telling them that it was of the utmost importance. It wasn't until they finally got there that they saw what she meant. In front of them, Lattice and Lacy were running around, playing tag with what could only be assumed as a bunny girl. Her hair was bright white and her eyes were a deep blue. She looked like a normal child, but she most definitely wasn't human. Atlas was the first to speak. "W-where did you find her?"

"Lacy and Lattice found her in the jungle, crying in a pile of bunnies. She was afraid at first, but I guess she eventually began playing with them."

"Well, where did she come from? Creatures like her don't just appear!" Tony suddenly coughed, causing Atlas to turn red. "Oh, right."

Skelly looked at the human. "Tony, is she from your world?"

"Sorry, but I don't have any explanation for this. I've never seen a human with bunny ears before. What has she said?"

"That's just it. She hasn't said anything. She doesn't seem to be capable of eloquent speech, but she can form simple sentences. Then again, she seems to be just a child."

Atlas grabbed Tony's hand. "Allow us to try."

Hex narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Don't forget me!"

"Hex, this is going to take a gentle hand. Just wait here." Atlas assured. The witch was going to follow anyway, but Skelly held out her arm. Hex crossed her arms, pouting.

Lacy and Lattice laughed with their new friend until they saw Tony and Atlas approach. The bunny girl saw the newcomers and hid behind the spider girls. Lacy grabbed her hand, offering a comforting smile. The bunny girl hesitated before coming out. Tony and Atlas knelt down, smiling gently. "Hi there. My name is Atlas. This is Tony. What's your name?"

The bunny girl looked at the ground. Lacy tugged on her arm, nodding. The bunny girl squeaked out her answer. "Ears."

Atlas raised an eyebrow. "Your name is… Ears?"

"That's what they called me." He voice was barely audible, as if she was trying to hide. Tony looked at her, worried. "Who called you that?" She didn't answer. Instead, she looked at the ground again, scooting her feet around. Lacy crossed her arms. "Well, that's no good! You need a new name!"

Ears jumped a bit at her sudden outburst, but became interested. "New… name?"

Lattice nodded. "Yep! What do you think? Do you want a new name?"

The bunny girl shook a bit at the excitement, but smiled. "New… name."

"Great! Let's see… Fluffy?"

Lacy scoffed. "Seriously? Fluffy? Obviously her name should be Snuggles."

"Get real! What about Hoppy?"

"Bouncy?"

"Bartholomew?"

"Seriously?"

While the spider girls argued, the bunny girl suddenly wiggled her nose. She began hopping toward the interesting scent until she ran right into Hex. The witch looked at the bunny, confused until she remembered something. Hex quickly pulled a carrot from her inventory and gave it to the girl, who happily accepted. The girl ate the carrot, snuggling close to Hex. The witch sprouted a small smile. "How about Carrots?"

Lacy and Lattice looked at the girls, surprised. The bunny girl smiled. "Carr… Carrots! Carrots!"

Tony laughed. "I guess she likes the name, but where is she going to stay? We don't know where she came from."

Skelly closed her eyes in thought. "For now, it would be best to keep her with the Village rulers. I doubt Yaebi would offer much comfort to her."

Atlas looked at Lacy and Lattice's disappointment. "I don't know if that is such a good idea. She has already formed a bond with the girls. It would be best to keep her with them." Atlas got a bit closer to Skelly. "She might give more info to them if she trusts them."

Skelly nodded. "I see. Okay. Lacy. Lattice. You two are in charge of Carrots. Keep her safe, entertained, and happy."

Lacy grabbed Carrots' hand and smiled. "Yay! I can't wait to show you my cave! Just wait til you see my spider web collection!"

Carrots smiled. "Okay…"

The group watched as the girls ran off. Tony frowned. "She said someone called her Ears. That means she knew someone. Maybe her parents?"

"I doubt any parent would be so cruel to give their daughter an unoriginal name." Atlas pointed out. ' _But I wonder if "Carrots" is any better?'_

Skelly scoffed. "Tell that to Blazette. However, Tony is right. She must have known someone to name her. If we find that out, we can figure out where she came from. Gather the rulers for a meeting ASAP."


	5. In the Jungle

Yaebi slammed his fists into the table. "You have got to be kidding me!" He yelled. He held out an accusing finger at Tony, who sat across from him. "I can tolerate one new creature, but this is just unfair!"

Rube stood from her seat, raising a hand. "Calm down, Yaebi. We still don't know what to do with this information."

Yaebi was about to retort, but Cupa held a hand over his mouth. "And we can't let you eat her."

In the Village of Shade, the mob and village rulers were brought together to discuss the new situation. Even King Steve was invited to such a drastic event. Tony looked out at the group and, despite the circumstances, felt proud of his friends for coming together. He would have admired it more, but he was a bit distracted by his seat neighbors. He was seated between Slag and Mire, who clutched his arms for dear life. He glanced at them, red-faced. "G-g-girls, please pay attention. This is k-kind of i-i-important."

Slag nuzzled her head against his neck, smirking. "Don't play innocent. We know Hex spent the night at your house. Now it's our turn to have some alone time with you."

Mire smiled as she leaned closer, too. "Yep! We want to stay the night, too!"

Suddenly, Slag and Mire were pulled away by their ears. On either side of them, Ashley and Haze pulled away their respective sisters. "I don't think so." They said in unison. Slag and Mire made pouty faces before sitting back down, looking forward. They cast flirty glance at the human before facing forward again. Tony was a bit confused by their sudden calm… until he felt it. Under the table, Slag and Mire stretched their hands to go around Tony's left and right foot, respectively. The human was about to speak up, but Skelly began talking. "I say a few of us should just go to the Spider Cave and interrogate this bunny girl. We won't get answers unless we ask for them."

Rube shook her head. "This isn't just an ordinary ruler. She is but a child. It's going to take a tender hand and trust to get any answers." Tony tried to continue to listen, but Slag and Mire's hands suddenly began to travel upwards. They were now resting on his lower legs. He looked at them, alarmed, but they just continued to gaze forward, innocently.

Terra jumped from her chair. "We need a solution! The village farmers are reporting bizarre animal attacks and disappearances! This bunny girl could have something to do with it!"

Misery wiped away her tears, speaking between sobs. "It is rather strange… that she would… appear the very day after… the attack at the human settlement."

"Now, now. We shouldn't jump to conclusions. We need hard evidence. I actually have a plan." Skelly said.

Tony's face only grew brighter as Slag and Mire were getting bolder. Their hands were going higher, now resting on his lower thigh. He looked at them, a bit unnerved by their mischievous grins.

Skelly laid a map on the table, pointing to an x mark. "Lacy and Lattice said they found her in the eastern jungle biome. She's just a child, so she couldn't have travelled far from her home by herself. It's possible we might find where she came from here."

Yaebi grinned. "Now, all we need is search party. Volunteers?"

Slag and Mire's hands slid higher until they reached Tony's inner thigh. Their cheeks turned red as they- "I volunteer!" Tony exclaimed, jumping from his seat. Slag and Mire giggled as their hands retracted. The group stared at the red-faced boy, Yaebi raising an eyebrow. "Uh, alright. But you need someone to go with you. I don't want you screwing this up. Any volunteers?" Slag and Mire's faces exerted pure joy as they raised their hands. Hex, Skelli, and Atlas looked at the duo in shock, preparing to say something, but Yaebi grinned, evilly. "Perfect! Slag, Mire, and Tony will search the eastern jungle."

Before anyone could protest, the slime girls snatched the human, carrying him out of the meeting hall. Saber looked at the door, sighing. "He's not coming back in one piece."

Tony walked with Slag and Mire in tow. He stayed silent during the walk, causing the slime girls to pout. "Come on, Tony. We didn't mean any harm by it."

Mire put a hand on Tony's chin. "In fact, we meant quite the opposite."

Tony shivered at her close proximity. "H-hey! I think we're almost there." He pointed out as the green canopy of the forest began to loom over the horizon. The trio entered the overgrowth, keeping a sharp lookout for anything unusual. They kept on walking until they approached a clearing. "This must be where Lacy and Lattice found Carrots." Mire said.

"No doubt about it, but something seems… off. Listen." Slag said. The group did as they were told and noticed what she meant: the entire jungle had gone silent. It was as if every animal in the biome had suddenly noticed the intruders. Tony slowly removed his sword, preparing for any sudden movement. Suddenly, out of the canopy, a dark figure flew. It blew a gust of wind at the trio, pushing them back a bit. The group looked around as giggling rang throughout the canopy. Slag prepared a blast of lava. "Show yourself!"

The giggling continued, but was accompanied by a snarky voice. "Ha! What's wrong, hothead? You seem a bit _heated_." The voice began laughing at its own joke. The dark figure flew down again, this time flying past Slag, slicing a gash through the magma cube. The gash healed near instantly, but it did not help cool Slag's temper. "Why you-"

"Stop it! Who are you?" Tony yelled into the trees. The only answer was silence. The trio looked around, waiting for something- anything- to respond. Suddenly, the dark figure burst out of the canopy before flying away from the group. "Catch me if you can!" It said, zooming away. Slag gritted her teeth, steam rising from her head. Tony could swear her teeth became pointed! Her eyes began to glow as she ran after the figure, leaving a trail of burning footsteps. "I'm going to roast you, you twit!" Mire and Tony looked at each other before chasing after their friend and the unknown assailant.

"I've never seen Slag get this mad before. If she gets too mad, she'll burn the entire biome down!"

"That might be the least of our worries. Who's messing with us?" Tony asked, trying to get a glimpse of the mystery newcomer.

"I don't know, but I pray to Notch we get to them before Slag does."

"... and just wait until you meet Mitchell! He's hilarious!" Lacy said, dragging Carrots by the arm.

Lattice rolled her eyes. "Carrots, feel free to ignore her. She gave every single one of her cave spiders a name. This could take a while."

Lacy smirked. "At least I cared enough to give them names. All 572,000 of them!" It wasn't long before they began approaching a large, rocky mountain. Lattice smiled. "We're here! Carrots, are you ready for the grand tour- Carrots?" The bunny girl stopped moving as soon as the mountain came into view. Her eyes were locked on the dark entrance as she took a step back. Lacy held her grip on Carrots' arm, looking at her new friend in concern. "Carrots? What's wrong?"

The bunny girl loosened her grip from Lacy's hand as she took another step back. "... no… No!" She repeated. She crumpled to the ground, crying as she held her ears. "No! No! No! I don't wanna go back!" She cried. Lacy sat next to her fallen friend and placed a hand on her. She looked at Lattice, who just shrugged and joined her sister in comforting Carrots.

Slag looked around the jungle, trying to find her target. The dark figure was nowhere to be found and her rage was far from soothed. Tony and Mire called for her, but her anger deafened her. "Where are you, coward!" She looked around, frantically. The voice laughed again. "Better to be a coward than an idiot! Have you even noticed where we are, yet?" Slag cooled down enough to notice her surroundings. The jungle's thick overgrowth had cleared, revealing a flowing waterway. "So what? We're by a river! What's your point?"

The voice cackled again. "Wrong answer. You're in my trap." Slag didn't have time to question anything as the dark figure suddenly pushed her backwards… directly into the water. Tony and Mire broke through the forestry just in time to see their friend fall into the water. "Slag!" They yelled.

Suddenly, the world went dark as something hit them from behind, knocking them unconscious.


	6. Jailbreak

"... kill… deserve…"

"We… them…"

"He… delicious…"

Unintelligible sentences rang through the darkness, causing Tony's eyes to flutter open. He looked around, finding himself surrounded by iron bars. He was in a cage and he was not alone. Next to him, Mire sat, sobbing, as she cradled someone in her arms. Tony squinted at the figure until he realized who it was. "Slag!" He crawled to the girls. Tony felt fear course through him as he looked at her state. Her usual bright and glowing body was now gray and dull. Her bright and confident eyes were glazed over, devoid of life. She was barely conscious. Tony looked at Mire. "What happened? Where are we?"

"I don't know! I just woke up next to Slag. She's barely holding herself together. Whoever took us got her before she could respawn… she's in a lot of pain." Mire said, tears streaming down her cheeks. Tony put his hand on Slag's cheek. ' _She's… she's cold! Oh no! No!'_ He closed his eyes when he felt tears begin to form, but suddenly felt a cold hand hold his. Slag tried to smile at the boy, reassuringly. He looked at her with his own sad smile as his grip tightened around her hand. Suddenly, a cackle was heard in the darkness. "Well, well. Would you look at this? The human really does care about the monsters."

"Well, don't worry human. You can stay with them forever now. After all, none of you are getting out of here."

Tony gritted his teeth in anger. "Show yourself! What do you want!?" He yelled. A switch suddenly clicked, illuminating the dark cave. Tony covered his eyes at the sudden burst of light, but when he looked again, his eyes widened in shock.

In front of them were people.

Non-cube people.

The group in front of them had a multitude of animal features. The closest one, a girl with bat wings protruding from her back and large bat ears sprouting from her head, kneeled down next to the cage, baring her fangs. "What's wrong? Never seen a ruler before?"

Tony recognized her voice. He pounced at the edge of the cage, gripping the bars. "You're the one from the forest! What did you do to Slag?"

The bat girl's red eyes flashed as she smirked. "Her? She just took a dip in the local river. Don't worry. I didn't let her die. After all, hearing those screams was just so… exciting!" She cackled again. Tony could get a better look at her now that she was in the light. She was about Lattice's age, but he could tell she thought she was older. Her hair was jet black and fell just above her blood-red eyes. Her clothes were a bit skimpy and they matched her hair in color. Tony glared at her, desperately pulling at the iron bars to no avail. "Oh my. So I guess he does have a wild side. I like that." The girl next to the bat girl leaned toward the cage, licking her lips. She looked about Tony's age. Behind her, a fluffy tail wagged happily. Atop her head, two silver, wolf-like ears protruded from her silver hair. Her eyes matched her hair color. Behind her, a girl of similar age pulled her away by her tail. "You ruffian! Stop playing with your food! Control yourself!" Her hair was orange and had a pair of cat ears coming out. Her eyes were bright green and her fangs shined in the torchlight. Behind her, an orange tail swished coolly. The wolf girl bared her fangs at the ocelot girl. "Don't tell me what to do, you pompous brat! I wouldn't mind having you as an appetizer." She bared her claws with a smirk.

"Now, now. Calm down, you two."

"Indeed. We don't want to leave a false impression on our two guests." The newcomers looked identical. They were women, around Ashley and Haze's age. One had dark, brown hair while the other had creamy, white hair. One had lush, caramel skin while the other had silky, cream-colored skin. Both were scantily clad with rather large… assets. Their movements seemed to mirror one another, perfectly in-sync. Atop both of their heads, horns protruded. The cow girls poked at their comrades, playfully. "Come now, we should be setting an example for the child in our midst."

The batgirl stomped her feet, annoyed. "Who're you calling 'child'? I'm old enough to lure these idiots in here!" She yelled, gesturing to the caged denizens.

Tony was getting sick of being ignored. "Let us out!"

"Hm? Oh, sure. Let me just get the keys and- oh, wait! My mistake! I'm not gonna do that." The bat girl cackled again, grating on Tony's nerves. She glared at him, her red eyes unnerving him. "You're not getting out any time soon. We're keeping you here for as long as it takes."

"As long as it takes? What does that mean?"

The cow girls smiled. "Aw, such a naive human. When word gets back to the other that you're missing…"

"... they'll be sure to fall into the same trap as you! Then, when they get here…"

They spoke in unison. "... we'll kill all of them!" They laughed maniacally as they nuzzled each other. The mooshroom girl held the cow girl. "You are so cute when you're plotting vengeance."

Tony looked at Mire, who shared his shock. She gently set Slag down before going to the bars. "You can't honestly believe you'll be able to hold us here."

"My dear, you don't have much of a choice. Don't even think about squeezing through those bars. We've hidden pressure plates around your cage. One wrong step and you might blow yourself to bits!" The cat girl said, cockily. Suddenly, the captors' heads snapped toward an invisible force. The bat girl spoke first. "The Master is calling us. Come." They all walked toward the darkness of their cavern, leaving behind their hostages.

Tony hit his head against the bars, mentally cursing the situation. A small noise from within the cage brought his attention back to his fallen friend. He and Mire looked down at her, concern on their faces. "Slag?"

The lava girl faintly smiled. "Ain't this something. We're in this situation because of my hot head. Sorry, guys."

"Stop… just stop talking. We're gonna get out of here." Tony said, holding her hand. He looked at Mire, who gave him a worried smile. He sighed and closed his eyes, placing his head on Slag's abdomen. Suddenly, he felt a surge of warmth. "Huh?" He sat up, looking at her regain a very small, but visible portion of her color. "How did…" He looked at her face and saw a light blush grace her cheeks. Mire looked at her friend, then back at Tony. Suddenly, it clicked. She picked up Slag and placed her in Tony's arms. "Kiss her!"

"W-what! She's barely conscious! I can't just kiss her!"

"Do you want to help her?" Tony nodded. "Then kiss her!"

Tony felt his face flush, but he suddenly felt a frail hand on his cheek. Slag looked up with a weak smile and nodded. He returned the nod and leaned down. Once they made contact, the surge of heat was intense. Slag's body became more heated as the kiss became more intense. As she regained her strength, she kissed with increased passion and vigor. Unfortunately, her lava reheated, burning Tony. He yelped as he jumped back from the blast of heat. Mire looked on with stars in her eyes as Slag stretched her arms. "Man, it feels good to be back!" She looked at Tony, lovingly. "I feel so _heated_." She laughed as he became red. Slag cracked her knuckles. "Step back, lovelies. I'm fired up!" She grabbed the bars, melting them with ease.

The trio carefully escaped from the minefield in front of their cage before running through the caves. As they ran, Slag put her hands on her cheeks, lovingly. "I knew it! You do care about us! You were so worried about me!"

Tony smiled at her. "Of course I care about you guys! I'm just glad you're okay." Slag blushed at his words, but refocused on their mission: escape. "How do we find the exit?"

"I don't know. I would try digging us out of here, but they completely wiped my inventory, whoever they are. They took my favorite sword! Did you guys know there were animal rulers?"

Mire shook her head. "No! Animals don't have communities or behaviors of any kind! Rulers like them should not exist! This is bad. This is very bad!"

"I know. They seem to be targeting the other rulers, but why? And who's their 'Master'?"

"We can figure that out later! Let's just get out of… here?" Mire stopped when she heard a noise. "Wait. What is that?" Slag and Tony listened as well and, sure enough, they heard it, too. It was crying. Mire slowly walked toward the noise, much to the alarm of her comrades. Slag walked behind her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Shh… I'm trying to see where that noise is coming from." She peeked around a corner and gasped. Tony and Slag looked and shared her expression. It was a dimly-lit, barred room. Inside, two figures sat in the shadows, weeping. Mire approached the bars, cautiously. "H-hello?" The figures suddenly paused, daring not to look at who was at the door. Mire knelt down. "Hey, are you okay?"

The figures remained quiet until the taller one spoke. "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm not going to harm you. I'm a friend. What's your name?"

"... Astrid. This is Zero. I was put in here for protecting her from… them." She sobbed a bit more. Slag and Tony knelt next to Mire, the former holding out a welcoming hand. "Come forward. It's okay, we don't bite." The figures shuffled a bit before complying. Astrid stepped forward with Zero under her arm. The former was a bit tall and lanky. Her dark hair fell messy at her sides. Her glasses were comically large and she had a pair of long donkey ears sprouting from her head.

Next to her was a shorter girl. She was curvy with bright red hair and a curly tail behind her. She had pig-like ears atop her head. She hid behind Astrid, examining the new strangers.

Mire gave them concerned gazes. "Why would they lock you in here? Aren't you one of them?"

Astrid held her friend behind her. "It's a long story. Can you help us?"

Slag smirked. "Of course! Stand back!" She grabbed the bars, repeating the melting process. While Slag worked, Tony looked at their new comrades. "Do you two know the way out of here?"

"I-I do. I can l-lead you out of here." Zero said, nervously. Once Slag finished, the pig girl kept her word and led the group toward the exit. ' _The others are going to freak out when they hear about this.'_ Tony thought.


	7. Divine Power

"We weren't always like this. We didn't always have these powers. I remember what happened before all of this. I was just walking through a normal field. I was living a normal life. Then, everything went black. When I woke up, I felt… different. I felt more aware, if that makes any sense. I looked different, too. That's when I saw them… the others. At first, they welcomed me with open arms. They treated me like an equal because of my power. However, Zero was not so lucky. They thought she looked weak and that her powers would be useless. She was mistreated day after day. Eventually, I had enough. I stood up for her. That's when I found out the truth: they had no qualms about caging me because they thought I was weak, too. They only wanted me as cannon fodder." Astrid finished, tears brimming her eyes.

She stood in the grand hall of the Shade Village, telling her story to the rulers. They all just stared in disbelief until Yaebi broke the silence… with laughter. "You honestly expect us to believe that you were once a donkey? And that little porkchop over there was once a normal pig?" He continued to laugh.

Skelly smacked the back of his head, hard. "Sorry about that. He's an idiot." The zombie boy glared at her. She continued. "This is a very pressing matter. Someone or something has successfully created artificial rulers from animals."

"That's not all. Whoever made them has directed them to target the rulers. The attack on the human settlement was probably orchestrated to get our attention." Mire said.

King Steve snapped his fingers. "That makes sense. The attack happened on a day of peace. The rulers wouldn't care about the human settlement's affairs on any other day. This was an attack against all of us."

"But who has such a motive against us? Who would be willing to break the laws of nature just to attack us?" Rube asked.

"Astrid, Zero. Do you know who the Master is?" Tony asked.

Zero suddenly shuddered. "He… he never told us his name… he never spoke. But…" She shook in fear.

Astrid put a hand on her shoulder and looked at the group. "His… his eyes. They had no life to them. They glowed as bright as the sun."

"No way… Herobrine!?" Andr said, alarmed.

"Why would that monster want to attack us? Why would it even need minions to do it? Herobrine is one of the strongest beings in this world!" Yaebi said.

"Probably out of boredom." A monotone voice suddenly said. The group turned and saw that H had finally appeared. Zero and Astrid immediately cowered under the table.

H looked at them, unfeeling. "Oh. You have the failed experiments."

"H, what in Notch's name is going on? Where have you been? You've been gone for weeks!" Saber barked.

H ignored her as she floated toward Astrid and Zero. They froze as she came only inches away from them. "The Master wants to see you." She looked around, noticing the missing spider rulers. "I'm assuming the spiders are taking care of the rabbit."

Yaebi clenched his teeth. "H, you've got a lot of nerve showing up here! You have some explaining to do."

The divine being had no emotion as she raised her arm, sending the zombie flying back. He groaned as he landed. Blazette and Hamilton quickly went to his aid. He glared at H. "Why you-"

"Yaebi, that's enough." Skelly said. She turned to H. "Can you please explain what is going on? Why is Herobrine creating rulers?"

"Why don't you ask it yourself?" H raised an arm and, in the blink of an eye, the entire group disappeared.

No one had expected the sudden transport. It was instantaneous and nauseating, but effective. The group looked around, confused. Blazette felt her body heat rise along with her anger. "Where are we? What did you do?"

King Steve answered before H. "You've brought us to your master's domain. We're in the cave of Herobrine." Tony looked at the elder king, hearing a strange nervousness in his voice.

Rube frowned. "H, you still haven't answered any of our questions."

"Father will answer them. Follow me." She began floating down the long, dark corridor. The group looked at each other before pursuing her. Fortunately, the tour was not too long as the corridor opened up into a massive cave… with Herobrine floating in the center. Behind him, the animal rulers stood, but they seemed blissfully unaware of the situation. It was as if they were under some kind of trance. The rulers gasped as they saw the animals. King Steve stepped forward. "Herobrine! What is the meaning of this!?"

The monstrous being screeched as it held out its arm. H suddenly went limp before her eyes glowed bright. She turned back and, for the first time, grinned. "Hello, rulers. I'm sure you're curious about my little surprise."

"H? What are you talking about?"

"That's not H anymore. Herobrine has taken control of her body to communicate with us." Steve explained.

The being laughed again. "Indeed, old friend. My Heroinebrine's body was truly my greatest creation… well, until now." It looked at the entranced animal rulers with a sadistic grin. "They truly are magnificent, aren't they?"

"Herobrine, why are you creating rulers?"

"Why? Hm…" It put a hand to its chin. "No reason. Perhaps for experimental purposes?"

"Experimental purposes? How is this experimental? You'll destroy the world seed if you keep altering these creatures!" Atlas pointed out.

Herobrine cackled. "I'm no fool, librarian. My power can hold this world together as I see fit. The world seed will be fine."

Tony frowned. "That's still no excuse to do whatever you want! You've made these rulers and brainwashed them! Why?"

"My, my. You're time in this world has made you more bold, human. However, it seems to have made you rather dense as well. I can do whatever I please." It floated above Astrid and Zero, who cowered in fear. "I created these rulers by joining my divine power with the witch's Chemical X, which she gladly gave me in exchange for Tony last year." The group looked at Hex, who shrugged nervously. Herobrine continued. "I didn't brainwash them. This is just a… side effect. My power courses through their bodies, not dissimilar to my Heroinebrine's setup. This creates a mild problem."

King Steve sighed, knowingly. "You created other divine beings."

"Well, now. The old human still isn't senile." It raised its arm, a white glow suddenly surrounding Astrid and Zero. They panicked as they were lifted into the air.

"N-no! Astrid!" Zero held onto her friend, tears threatening to rush from her eyes.

"Hang on to me, Zero!" Astrid yelled.

Herobrine smirked. "Adorable. The glitches have bonded.

"What are you doing!? Put them down!" Hex barked.  
"Oh, I plan to. I just need something from them. When I was creating the rulers, there were a few who didn't fully accept the power I gave them. I don't know why, but they had steel resolve. Now, because of that, I can counter this blasted link with the others." Herobrine clenched its fist, causing Astrid and Zero to suddenly scream out in pain.

"Stop! You're hurting them!" Tony called, drawing his sword.

Herobrine grinned. "It'll only last a moment or more!" It opened its fist as a white pulse of energy burst from the pig and donkey girls. It pushed everyone back, including the entranced rulers. However, once it reached them, they fell, unconscious. Herobrine grinned and dropped the now-unconscious Astrid and Zero before floating towards the other animal rulers. Rube frowned. "What happened to them?"

"They are no longer in my control. That burst of energy was just what I needed to sever my link to them. They have their own free will." Herobrine raised its hand, teleporting the unconscious animals away. It looked back at the rulers, blank faced. "They have been sent to their respective habitats. When they wake, they'll see the world for themselves. That's why I created them." Before anyone could ask anything else, Herobrine returned to its own body, screeching as it flew away. H regained consciousness and her emotionless expression. The group ran to her. "Are you okay? What did Herobrine mean?"

H remained unemotive as she answered. "When the animal rulers see the world outside they'll get mad. Cows are slaughtered. Wolves and ocelots are nothing more than house animals. When they see what the world has done to their 'subjects', the rulers won't be their targets anymore."

Tony gulped. "They'll wage war on the humans."

 **Author's Note:** When I first uploaded the chapter, something went wrong. I fixed it, so it should be alright now. Sorry for the miscalculation!


	8. Preventative Measures

Lacy and Lattice stood over their unconscious friend, worried. Carrots had reluctantly agreed to enter the cave after some convincing from the girls, but as soon as she stepped foot inside, she fell unconscious! Lacy glared at her sister. "This is your fault! You just had to make her walk into the cave!"

Lattice looked offended. " _My_ fault? You were the one who thought a spider carnival was a good idea! You probably freaked her out!"

As the girls fought, Carrots began to stir. Her eyes opened as she sat up, rubbing her head. Lacy noticed and knelt by her. "Hey? Are you alright?"

Carrots looked at them, confused. "I'm… okay. What happened? My head hurts…"

Lattice smirked. "Well, that makes sense! You fell on a stone floor! C'mon, let's give you the grand tour!"

Yaebi slammed his fist on the table. The group had been transported back to the Shade Village Citadel by H. They stood in the room, trying to make sense of the information they were just given. Yaebi was livid. "Why in Notch's name do we have to find those animals? They aren't after us anymore! They're the humans' problem now."

Skelly shook her head. "We were all attacked by them. If anything, we should find them and exact vengeance. Who knows what they'll do."

Rube sighed. "Vengeance would not be wise. However, if we are going after them, we must do so with haste. Those creatures have the powers of true rulers. Whoever they kill may not respawn."

Tony listened with mixed feelings. He looked over at Astrid and Zero, who were sitting, unconscious, in some chairs at the corner. A sudden tap on his shoulder shook him from his thoughts. Atlas looked at him, eyebrow raised. "What's on your mind?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing. It's just… Herobrine said the rulers are no longer under his control. He said they have their free will. I'm thinking… maybe we shouldn't kill them…" Tony said. A sudden hit on his head made him yelp. Ashley looked at him, frowning. "What did you just say?"

Tony gulped. "W-we shouldn't kill them?"

Ashley hit him again. "Foolish human. Your compassion blinds you. Did you forget that they almost killed my sister?"

Slag rolled her eyes. "Ash, I'm fine."

"But what if you weren't? What if those rulers decided to finish you?"

Grace sipped her tea. "Tony, your compassion is admirable, but these sinful creatures can't be free to walk around. They will seriously injure someone."

Tony was about to lose hope, but Atlas suddenly stood. "I think we should give it a shot!"

Yaebi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not just saying that because your boyfriend says so?"

Atlas' face turned red, but she still stood. "Astrid, Zero, and Carrots were able to find free will on their own and they turned out fine. If we can find the others and convince them to find kindness in their hearts, then we may not have to destroy them."

Skelli, whose feet were resting on the table, shrugged. "I'll give it a shot. I'm always up for a challenge." She cracked her knuckles, winking at Tony. He blushed and looked away. Rube looked at Tony, smiling. "Do you really think we can find the rulers and convince them to join us?"

Tony nodded. "Of course!"

Rube closed her eyes, still smiling. "I should have known… alright. I think we should find the rulers." The group talked on the situation more, eventually agreeing that finding the animal rulers would be the best chance for peace. Yaebi grunted, the last to agree. "Fine then. You'd better be right, Tony."

The human nodded. "I have faith. Now, Herobrine said he sent the rulers to their respective habitats, so that's where we start. We'd need to split up and look in the different biomes."

Blazette scoffed. "Are you insane? There are hundreds of biomes between here and the human settlement alone. It's impossible."

"We only need to look in the biomes around the human settlement itself. Herobrine wanted them to see what humans have done to them, so he probably dropped them off in their nearest biomes by the humans."

Atlas put a map out on the table. "Hm… what if a select few of us keep watch at the perimeters of the settlement? We can prevent the rulers from interacting with the humans while the others find whomever doesn't come."

Skelly and Rube looked at one another before nodding. "That… just might work. Alright, we'll go along with this plan." Skelly narrowed her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, though. If they attack, I won't hesitate in destroying them."

Tony walked toward his home with the village rulers, whose castle was in the same general direction. Atlas and Hex stood beside him, the latter clutching his arm. Atlas scratched her chin. "Um, Hex? Are you going to hold onto him for the entire walk?"

The witch stuck her tongue out at Atlas. "You're just jealous because he likes it!" She grinned at Tony. "Don't you?" She pushed herself onto his arm, causing his blush to grow.

Grace looked back at the trio, sighing. "Such sinful actions. Have they no shame?"

Rube laughed. "Calm yourself, sister. Love is a strange and wondrous thing. Besides, you can't blame them."

"What do you mean?"

"I can definitely see what they see in him. He is a true friend and ally. Has he not proven himself time and time again?"

Grace sighed. "It's a good point, but…" She looked back to see Hex holding Tony's arm to her chest. "... I wish they'd be more subtle."

Terra coughed. "Sorry to interrupt the conversation, but what're we gonna do about these rulers? My farmers rely on the livestock for food."

"It's as the plan goes. We wait until the morning to stake out the human settlement. When the animal rulers show up, we'll engage them and resolve this, peacefully." Rube explained.

Terra sighed. "I guess, but I can't help but be nervous. Hey! Claret! What about you?"

Claret frowned. "I admit, I feel nervous. As a butcher, these rulers may prove to be an issue to my subjects."

Rube closed her eyes, patiently. "I understand your fears, but we have no other option. Patience is the only weapon we may wield at the moment."


	9. The Flames of Love

The light. That was the first thing I saw. The bright light in the sky. The… sun. That's it, the sun. So there is a word for it. I didn't know where I was or how I got there. In fact, I didn't remember much of what happened before I woke up. However, I do remember feeling more… aware? Sentient? Conscious? I don't know how to explain it. I decided to get up, but it was shaky. I needed to go home. I needed to get back to my herd… but I couldn't. I felt something. I felt pulled into another direction. I was missing something. So I walked. I don't know why, but I did.

Immediately I noticed something different. I was taller. I ran to a nearby river and looked at my reflection. A human looked back at me. No, not a human. The reflection showed what looked like a human with horns. I put my new hands up to touch my face, more confused than afraid. I was even more surprised when I heard my own voice. "What it- argh!" Images suddenly began flashing in my mind. I could see dark faces. I could see bright eyes. I could see… her. A face that made my heartbeat quicken. I only saw it for a moment, but it still resonated. When I came to, I knew what I had to do.

I had to find her.

I walked for a long time. I didn't feel the need to rest or sit. I was pushed forward by the image of her face. I don't know why, but I knew she'd be happy to see me. Maybe that's just wishful thinking? I could see the sun beginning to set as the sky became bright orange. It was beautiful. A sky I had probably seen hundreds of times before was now beautiful for some reason. Perhaps it was the new form I had taken? I felt like I could properly examine things. I could form opinions and ideas. I could feel… things? I'm not sure what I felt, but I knew they were real.

I stopped when I saw lights ahead. A village, perhaps? I smiled. I remember seeing villagers visit my fields when I was with my family. They'd take some of them back to the villages, but no one knew why. It was just another occurrence. As I got closer, I could see the village silent. The denizens have gone inside for the night to avoid the monsters. It was odd. We never paid the mobs much mind. They ignored us. I walked through the small town, but suddenly stopped. In front of me was a stone building with a large glass window next to the front door. The objects in the window horrified me: carcasses. Skinned corpses of cows. They hung in front of the window, coaxing the townsfolk to come in and by their share, but to me, it was a brutal awakening. The cows that came here were… were…

I ran. I ran out of that horrid place.

The light. That was the first thing I saw. The dim light in the sky. The… moon. That's it, the moon. So there is a word for it. My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shadow looming over me. It mooed gently as it stared at me. One of my brethren. The cow licked my face, making me smile. As I stood, I realized I was different. I looked at my new hands in awe. "What… how?" I put my hands over my mouth. That was _my_ voice? I looked around and found myself surrounded by a herd of cows grazing in a field. At least I was in a familiar place. I tried remembering what happened before waking, but alas, it was for naught. I sighed, but suddenly heard a rustling in the brush. I looked and found a duo of humans moving towards the herd, swords drawn. I hid behind a tree, wondering what they were up to. I could hear their conversation.

"Well, lucky us. A whole herd is here."

"Awesome! The King will surely promote us for bringing this much back to the settlement!"

"Calm yourself, we still need to bring some of them back to replenish the farms."

"Alright, alright. No getting antsy with the sword." The second human approached the herd with his sword outstretched while the other pulled some wheat from his inventory. He led several of the cows away, leaving the second to do his deeds. He approached one of the herd members and raised his sword. I could do nothing but watch as he slashed and hacked his way through my brethren. The smile on his face radiated with an odd satisfaction as he continued hunting the herd. They were powerless to stop him and even more powerless to run away. I didn't want to watch anymore. I fled the scene.

I don't know which where I was going, but I felt like I was going in a specific direction. It was as if my heart was being pulled toward… something. I didn't put much thought into it as I was still reeling from what I had just witnessed. Those humans… they slaughtered an entire herd of my innocent brethren. They were just grazing, existing, yet those… monsters decided to harvest them. I felt my eyes flood with tears, but as I wiped them away, I couldn't watch where I was going. I ran into something.

Or rather _someone_.

I looked up, expecting to see another human, but instead I saw another cow. Well, not a cow. Another me. A seemingly human woman with horns. The sides of her head were adorned with mushrooms. We stared at each other for a long time. Something about her was… familiar. We stood and circled each other for a moment. Eventually, we stopped and stared. She held out her hand. I looked at it, then at her eyes. They seemed to plead to me. I don't know what compelled me to comply. It was like a piece of a grander puzzle was right in front of me. I grabbed her hand.

We both immediately fell down as a sharp pain flowed through us. My mind flashed with images of the girl in front of me. Her loving smile, her soft lips, her beautiful eyes. She was… she was… "My love… Belle…"

Belle looked at me with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Dot… darling!" We happily embraced, our two hearts finally reunited.

We found a clearing nearby and sat in silence, merely enjoying each other's company. "Darling… where have you been? How did we get here? I remember… others like us and… white eyes…" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

Dot rubbed my head, lovingly. "I wish I had an answer, love. I can't remember much either. I only woke up a short ways away. I witnessed something… horrible…" She shuddered a bit, an action either due to anguish or anger. I held her hand, reassuringly. "What did you see?"

"I… I woke up in a field with a herd. It was normal enough until… until…" She put her face in her hands, still shuddering. She looked back at me with tears brimming her eyes. "The humans… slaughtered them!"

I looked back at her, heartbroken. I looked down. "I woke up alone and made my way to a village. When I got there, everyone was asleep. I looked around and found…" I didn't know what I had found. There was really only one word for it. "... a slaughterhouse."

"Oh… love!" She embraced me, an action I did not hesitate to return. We held each other for a long time. We had both seen the horrible truths that eluded us for so long.

Our embrace ended after a moment. I suddenly felt a new feeling manifest within us. We looked into each other's eyes, as if a psychic link was established.

We wanted justice.

I wiped my tears away. "They must pay for what they've done to our kind."

"Indeed. The ones who slaughter us for personal gain without any sign of regret! We must avenge our fallen brethren!"

I thought for a moment. "But… how? We are but two creatures in a world of many."

She grabbed my face in her hands, smiling. "Remember! We aren't the only ones! If we can gather the others, we may have a chance!" I smiled at her words. This plan seemed simple enough. We just needed to find the others. We needed to show them the injustices of this world.

I looked at my love with a smile. "Every village will burn. Every human will fall."


	10. The Search Begins

Yaebi frowned as he roamed the grasslands near the human settlement. Along with him, Hamilton and Misery joined in the search for the new rulers. Misery had begun flying around the area in order to get a better view. Meanwhile, Yaebi and Hamilton travelled to different herds of animals to find anything unusual. The zombie boy blushed as Hamilton walked beside him. ' _I can't believe I was dragged into this stupid search. Who cares if the animals get a little cranky? I doubt a bunch of chickens would be able to do much damage.'_ He continued pondering.

Hamilton looked around. "What do you suppose we should be looking for?"

Yaebi shrugged. "How should I know? Maybe one of these cows'll suddenly sprout legs or something?" Hamilton giggled, inciting a smirk from Yaebi.

He began to think. ' _Now that I think about it, with Misery gone, it's just Hamilton and I… alone…'_ He smirked as his face turned red. He tried to act coolly. "So… what do you think of this whole mess?"

"Huh? W-well, I, uh…" She shrugged. "It seems like quite the situation, but I have no doubt we'll pull through! I mean, I hope…" She said, twiddling her thumbs.

Yaebi nodded. "I wouldn't worry. I mean, they're just animals. What's the worst they could do?"

Hamilton nodded. "I suppose you're right."

Yaebi noticed her nerves and thought for a second. "So… we haven't really had a chance to talk in quite some time."

"I-I-I suppose not." She blushed a bit, smiling.

Yaebi turned redder. "Perhaps, after this whole animal business is done, we could, maybe-" Suddenly, his words were interrupted by loud sobbing.

Hamilton looked towards the noise. "Oh, Misery's back. Come on!" She began running towards the ghast girl. Yaebi felt his anger rise, but sighed before following suit. The duo met up with Misery on a nearby hill. The ghast girl reported back between sobs. "N-no… sign of… a-anything unusual-l-l."

Yaebi crossed his arms. "This is hopeless. There have got to be dozens of grasslands around the human settlement alone. By the time we finish searching here, those rulers could have up and run off already- oof!" He suddenly had the wind knocked out of him by a charging cow. Yaebi fell and groaned before glaring at the beast. The cow stomped its foot, revving up. "You dare! I'll eat out your heart and feed the rest to my subjects!" He yelled. The cow snorted before charging again. This time, the zombie boy was ready. He grabbed the cow's head and, utilizing its momentum, tackled it down to the ground. He grinned, savagely, as he was about to take a bite, but suddenly heard more charging. Misery quickly grabbed Him and Hamilton before flying up into the air. The trio looked down just as a small herd of cattle trampled the area.

"That's… not normal…" Misery sobbed.

Yaebi looked around before narrowing his eyes at a nearby treeline. He could've sworn he saw a pair of feet running in. "Over there!"

Hamilton, Yaebi, and Misery ran into the treeline. Just beyond them, they could see a figure running, but the growth became thicker and thicker. Hamilton tried to keep up, but found her leg caught in small hole. She tripped and fell, crying out. "M-my leg!" She held her injured limb. Misery stopped to aid her. Yaebi hesitated for a moment before continuing the chase. He pumped his legs harder and harder. ' _I've got you… I've got you now!'_ He burst through the trees to find… nothing.

Yaebi looked around, frantically. "That's not possible. They were running in front of me." he looked out at the grassland in front of him. He tried to find any places that were hidden, but found none. It was as if she were never there. Yaebi felt his blood boil. "Dirty trick… they must've tripped me up in the forest." He growled and decided to head back to the others. Upon reaching Hamilton and Misery, he found the former sitting on an old stump while the other tended to her wounded leg. Yaebi sighed. "They got away… dammit!" He punched a tree, breaking the block. Hamilton winced at his outburst. The zombie boy noticed and calmed himself. "Sorry… are you okay?"

The pigman ruler nodded. "I'm fine. Misery fixed me up a bit." She looked down. "Did you see who we were chasing?"

"No, but considering the herd that went berserk, I imagine it was a cow ruler. That ticks one off the list." He growled. "Well, we know we're on the right track. I don't imagine she'll stray far from the grasslands. Just in case, I'll have an extra platoon of zombies patrol here. He smiled at the thought of his horde tearing apart whatever ruler dare humiliate him with _cows_ of all things. He shook himself from his thoughts and approached Hamilton. "Can you walk?"

"I think so." She tried to get up, but winced. Yaebi rolled his eyes and knelt in front of her. "Hop on my back."

Hamilton blushed. "R-really?"

Yaebi blushed, too, annoyed. "I-it's a faster way to get back to the others." He sweat a bit, but suddenly felt Hamilton climb onto his back, laying her head down on him. He felt his undead heart beat a little as she breathed, softly. Misery smiled at the scene, tears still streaming down her face. Yaebi looked away and marched forward. As Hamilton rested, he couldn't help but crack a smile.

Belle watched as the trio walked off. She noticed the smaller one wave his hand and summon several strange creatures. She thought for a moment. "Z-zombies." She didn't know why she knew that word. She saw what the mob ruler did and looked at her companion. They built a makeshift shelter under a nearby hill. Apparently, it was successful as a hiding spot. Belle waved her hand, imitating the zombie's movement. Dot looked at her. "Darling, what are you-" Suddenly, Belle felt a strange energy as she waved her hand once more. In front of her, a mooshroom cow suddenly spawned. The two jumped back in shock. "How did you do that?"

"That boy… the one who was chasing me did this to make zombies." She waved again, creating another cow.

Dot beamed. "Incredible! Let me try!" She waved her hand a few times, trying to get a feel for it. Suddenly, she felt the power flow as she made one final wave. A cow appeared in the center of the room. Belle and Dot jumped with glee. "Amazing!"

Belle hugged her beloved. "With this power, we can dominate our enemies!"

Dot nodded. "Indeed. It would seem we'll be needing to. Those people… it sounded like they were looking for the others as well."

"Then we'll just have to reach them first!"

Dot crossed her arms. "Oh dear. Where do we even begin to look?"

"I'm not sure…" Belle suddenly grinned. "But they do."


	11. Downtime

The rulers met up in front of the Shade Village as the sun set on the horizon. Skelly crossed her arms. "My group couldn't find anything in the eastern swamp. Any luck for you guys?"

Yaebi pumped his fist. "Yeah, I think we found a cow ruler near the border of the northern grasslands and the forest. I tried chasing her down, but she got away. Most likely through some trapdoor, but I couldn't find anything."

Tony thought for a moment. "She ran from you? What did you do?"

Yaebi frowned. "Nothing! Her stupid herd ambushed us. She was probably trying to trample us."

Tony thought for a moment. "It doesn't seem very cow-like to attack without reason."

Atlas put a hand to her mouth. "Do you think she woke up and found out about her "subjects" fate?"

"I guess. Then again, these rulers were given immense power in such a short time. I can't imagine what it must be like to suddenly gain sentience and absolute rule. She could have just attacked out of shock."

Skelli scoffed. "If that's the case, we need to find these rulers as soon as possible. Such intense fear makes them even more dangerous. We either need to try and help them or cut them down."

Yaebi clenched a fist. "Preferably the latter. I need to give that cow some payback."

Tony put a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on. What I can't wrap my head round is how they'll respawn. _Will_ they respawn?"

Atlas pushed up her glasses. "Considering they were once animals, killing them would most likely make them revert back into animals. However, they have the powers of rulers now. Honestly… it's hard to say."

Yaebi grinned maliciously. "Even better. I can take my revenge over and over again!"

Tony sighed. "Either way, we need to find the others as soon as possible. We can check the other biomes surrounding the settlement tomorrow."

A little ways away, two figures sat, listening. Belle and Dot grinned as they hugged each other. "Biomes… I wonder…"

"If we search the biomes tonight, we might find a few of our comrades before these monsters. But…" She put a hand on her head. "Where do we start. I don't think I know anything about biomes."

Belle held her hands. "My love, we can figure this out together." They began to trek back to their home, trying to put together these "biome" thingies.

Tony sighed as he put his sword next to his door. He reached for his journal as he walked to his room. He began to flip through. ' _I've been in this world for a little over a year now. I've written everything down, including the locations of the local fauna. Maybe if I get a little refresher, I can figure out-'_ He heard a sudden coughing and looked up, surprised. "Hex?"

The witch girl sat on the bed, smiling at him. "Hello, dear."

Tony smiled back, rubbing his head, nervously. "You're here earlier than usual. How did you get here before me?"

"I have my ways." She twiddled her thumbs. "... and I left while you were talking to Rube."

Tony thought for a moment and sighed. "Well, make yourself at home, I guess."

Hex looked at him, surprised. "You're not kicking me out?"

Tony shrugged. "It's been a long day. Besides, I'm not making you walk home with those animal rulers out there." He sat next to her on the bed, continuing to look through his book. She felt her cheeks flush and leaned on his shoulder, reading along. As she did, he couldn't help but linger on her words from before.

" _I know how you feel about the others. Slag and Mire. Skelli and Atlas. I know you can't break their hearts. That's why I'm making the most of this time. Even if you don't choose me, I still have this moment."_

He felt his heart fill with anxiety. ' _I don't know what to do. Slag and Mire… Atlas and Skelli… Hex… they've all been so kind and have done so much for me. Yet here I am struggling to decide which one I want to be with.'_ He gulped. ' _Maybe… maybe I should just-'_ He was pulled from his thoughts by the sudden snuggling of Hex on his neck. He smiled as a blush fell on his face. ' _There's too much going on right now. One problem at a time.'_ He continued reading as Hex dozed off on his shoulder. He was about to fall asleep as well, but a sudden knocking stirred them both. The duo made their way to the door and were surprised to find a girl with rabbit ears waiting. Tony raised an eyebrow. "Carrots?" The girl nodded and handed Tony a note. He looked over it, confused.

 _Hey, Tony! Here's the thing…_

 _Carrots seems to have a crippling fear of caves and dark places and, since that's kinda where we live, we figured it would be best to let her live in a normal place._

 _Don't worry, we'll be back in the morning to pick her up._

 _Thanks again!_

 _-Lacy and Lattice_

Tony felt his eyebrow twitch. "Those spiders... " He sighed and looked at Carrots, who smiled sweetly. He moved out of the way. "Come on in."

As she entered, she looked over at Hex and smiled before running up and hugging her. The witch was surprised, but accepted the gesture. "So, you remember me, huh?" She held Carrots' hand. "Let me show you around."

Tony smiled and began searching his chest for some materials. He eventually found what he needed and quickly crafted a bed. He looked over to see the two walk around, happily. He couldn't help but stifle a giggle as Hex showed the little rabbit girl around. The witch suddenly looked at Tony and smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's just, you're really good with kids!"

Hex blushed at the compliment before picking up Carrots. "W-we should get her to bed." The little girl yawned as if to agree.

In the Village of Shade, Zero and Astrid were in their room, trying to get some rest. However, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Astrid sat up and sighed. Zero followed and put a hand on her shoulder. "You feel it, too?"

Astrid nodded. "It's weird, but… ever since that monster took our energy… I've been feeling things. It's almost as if I can feel the others, you know?"

Zero nodded. "I agree. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like we're all connected."

Astrid thought for a moment. "I wish there was a way to control this. It would probably be useful right now."

"True. The only thing I can be sure of is that the others are out there, somewhere." She laid back, groaning. "I know they were mean before, but wasn't that just Herobrine's influence? Are they different now that they have their own will?"

"I don't know. Maybe they've changed. Maybe they aren't really that bad, but they're still dangerous if they can't get a hold of themselves."

Zero shrugged. "We woke up just fine. I still remember everything after we woke."

Astrid looked down in sadness. "Probably because Herobrine thought we'd be useless in his grand plan. There wouldn't have been a point in wiping our memories." She pushed up her glasses. "Maybe that's good. I know I wouldn't want to forget any of this. This place, these powers, you…" She trailed off a bit, blushing.

Zero blushed as well, smiling. She stood up and nodded. "Then I want to help, too! We can help the others find the animals and make them see there's a peaceful solution to all of this!"

Astrid smiled and hugged her comrade. ' _You'll see, Herobrine. We're not just weaklings.'_

Everyone met up the next morning in front of the Human Settlement. Well, almost everyone. Atlas and Skelli looked around. "Where's the human?" The latter asked. As if on cue, Tony came running, Hex alongside him. On his back, Carrots rode, waving her arms high. "Wee!"

The human panted. "Sorry… we're late…" He composed himself and set Carrots down. "Lacy and Lattice dropped someone off for a surprise visit last night."

Skelly glared over at the spiders, who snickered, mischievously. Tony rolled his eyes and looked over, surprised to see a certain donkey and pig. "Astrid, Zero? You guys are helping with the search?"

The two stood, confidently. Astrid nodded. "Yes. We figured you guys could use all the help you could get."

Claret smirked. "Much appreciated. So who's going where?"

Rube nodded. "Right. Here's my layout. I'm sending Atlas and Tony to the eastern forest. Recent sightings have been showing more and more wolves spawning there. I'd fancy a guess as to that being where the wolf ruler is."

Skelli raised an eyebrow. "Just Atlas and Tony against wolves? Is that a good idea?"

Rube nodded. "Remember, our aim is peace." She looked at the duo. "I'm hoping you two can resolve this without much conflict. Just in case…" She looked to Skelly. "Do you think you could supply them with enough bones?" Skelly nodded and waved a hand, conjuring a stack of bones and giving it to the duo. Rube continued. "Yeabi, Hamilton, Misery, and Astrid will go to the sighting area from yesterday. I'm sure your zombies will have despawned by now, so the sooner you search, the better."

Yaebi scoffed. "If it means I get to take a bite out of that cow, then I'm all for it." He noticed the group's deadpan stares. "Or, you know, peace and whatever." He waved off.

Rube sighed. "Lacy, Lattice. I need you two to escort some of the mob and village rulers throughout the cave systems and mineshafts nearby. Some of the rulers may have appeared there, out of sight. Be especially on the lookout for the bat." The spiders nodded and high-fived. "Haze and Zero; you lot will look through the southern swamps. Mire and Hex, I need you two to check the western ones. Ashley and Slag, there are too many waterways in the area to safely assume you'll be out of harm's way. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you two keep an eye on Carrots at the Village Castle. That goes for you as well, Blazette."

Ashley nodded. "Understandable. I don't normally like being stuck babysitting, but after what happened to Slag, I'd rather not risk it."

Blazette scoffed. "Babysitting. Fine. I guess it beats getting splashed."

The groups knew their tasks. Everyone was sent to their respective biomes and those who weren't were sent down into the multitudinous cave systems to explore. The search had once again begun.

King Steve walked the halls of his castle, contemplating. What with the crazy happenings with the animals, he made sure to double down on the defenses around the perimeter wall. Considering how large the kingdom was, this was no small undertaking. He went to his throne and sat, still thinking. ' _Herobrine… why I haven't had a run in with him in… I forget how long! For him to do something like this… it's too far.'_ He clenched his fist, but winced. "I'm getting too old for this. I won't be able to fight him again at this age, but he's been left unchecked for too long…" He looked out the window at his kingdom. "Dear rulers… please find these poor souls. Don't let them give in to Herobrine's will."


	12. Search Parties

Mire and Hex walked through the swamp with relative ease. As both were rather experienced with these areas, it wasn't much of a problem. As they searched, however, it was clear that both of them had just one thing on their mind. Mire was the first to point it out. "I bet Rube sent Atlas with Tony on purpose. She's her sister, so it only makes sense that they're in cahoots."

Hex crossed her arms. "Well, I'm her sister, too. She could've set me up."

"Don't you already practically live with Tony?"

The witch blushed. "That's not the point!" She sighed. "Besides, we should probably keep a close eye out. Yeabi and Atlas' groups are the only ones with real leads. The rest of us are kind of wandering."

Mire nodded. "It's the only way at the moment. Misery and Blazette probably could have flown around the area to spot anything a bit faster."

"With us being so close to the Human Settlement and the tensions being so high, I'd guess they'd be shot down." The duo walked in silence for a little while. Hex couldn't help but think about her comrade. ' _Look at us… acting like teammates even though we're rivals in love. I wonder…'_ Hex twiddled her thumbs. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask… why do you and Slag chase after Tony?"

Mire raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it seemed that you two were very interested in him from the moment you met him. Why?"

Mire was taken back by the question and rubbed her head before smirking. "I don't know."

"That's not an answer!"

Mire snickered. "I guess… I guess it wasn't like that at first. When he first came to the Shade Village, Slag and I were very interested to see what sane human would even try that. What's more, he wasn't cubed! Then one thing led to another…" She smiled at the memory.

Hex looked at her for a moment. ' _I guess I understand. For a human to be so courteous to a mob, it must've piqued their interest.'_

Mire noticed Hex's thoughts. "What's up? You seem distracted."

"Hm? It's nothing. I'm just… thinking about the future…" She said.

Mire put her hands behind her head as she looked at her comrade, worried.

Blazette sat, annoyed, as she watched Slag play around with Carrots. Ashley smiled at the sight and sighed. "This reminds me of when she was just a little girl. My, how time has passed."

Blazette scoffed. "She certainly has the mindset of a little girl. Playing games here while everyone is out there saving the world."

Ashley frowned. "I'm sure she doesn't like this, either, but I'd rather her not go out near the rivers again."

Blazette sighed. She understood the reasoning, but she didn't have to like it.

Slag continued chasing Carrots around, being careful not to touch her. She laughed as she played, but couldn't help but think about the current situation. ' _Tony's with Atlas and Mire is with Hex. So, I guess I shouldn't be worried about them getting hurt. I just wish I could go out there and help…'_ She stopped chasing and laughed. "Okay, Carrots! I'm going to take a break." She went and sat next to her sister as Carrots began picking flowers nearby. Slag sighed in exhaustion. Ashley wrapped an arm around her sister. "Tired already, hothead?"

"Me? Tired? Never." She forced a chuckle, but couldn't conceal her feelings.

Ashley smiled, sadly. "Slag, I know how you feel, but we need to focus on safety. We'll have our chance, you'll see."

Blazette nodded. "I hate to admit it, but she has a point. The time will come for us to battle." She conjured a few blaze rods as if to emphasize her point.

Tony looked through his book, bones at the ready. He had been looking through everything he had learned about wolves in the past year, but found his research sorely lacking. "You know, now that I think about it, I haven't run into too many wolves."

Atlas raised an eyebrow. "Really? I have many texts on the subject if you need any advice."

"It's not that, it's just…" He twiddled his thumbs. "I've kinda always wanted a dog." He laughed.  
Atlas pulled out her stack of bones. "Well, if this goes according to plan, you might need to tame a few wolves anyway." She pointed out.

Tony put his book away and thought. "Well, I don't know. This wolf ruler has complete control over the wolves, right? Would that control extend to tame ones?"

"I don't know. There isn't a difference in species, just behavior." Atlas thought. "I suppose we should just hope for the best." She suddenly looked over and stopped. Tony stopped as well and followed her gaze until he saw a wolf. The wolf hadn't noticed them yet, as it was just wandering. Suddenly, another one approached it from the side. Curiously, they seemed to whimper and growl, as if communicating. Before long, the two wolves scampered off in the same direction. Tony and Atlas nodded to each other before chasing them. Managing to keep their distance, the duo maintained a safe distance from the wolves. Atlas noticed. "The distance hasn't changed. It's like they're leading us."

"I guess that's good. We might just find the wolf ruler faster. Be ready." He said.

The wolves eventually made their way to a cave and stood on either side, laying down. Atlas and Tony approached, slowly. The wolves paid no mind, laying down instead. The duo looked at each other. "I guess we're here." Atlas said, walking forward, arms raised. Tony followed suit. Atlas looked into the dark cave and pulled out a torch. "Hello? We mean no harm." Silence was all that responded. Atlas stepped forward… and heard a growl. "Stay back!" A new voice barked.

Atlas and Tony jumped as several wolves surrounded them, growling with red eyes. Tony was about to pull out some bones, but suddenly felt wind rush past him as Atlas disappeared. He looked up in time to see his friend being held by a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes. He squinted into the darkness and made out her silhouette. ' _I recognize her. It's the wolf, alright.'_ He put a hand up, slowly. "Hey, now. Let her go."

"Let her go? If I do that, what's my dear pack going to eat?"

"You don't have to do this. We come in peace."

"Peace? _Peace_!?" She threw Atlas aside, who was promptly trapped by circling wolves. The ruler approached Tony, eyes glowing brighter. "You dare talk of peace, slaver!?"

"Slave- what are you talking about?"

The wolf girl dropped Tony and scoffed. "I can smell it on you. You're a human. I woke up not too far from your walls. I looked inside and you know what I saw? My wolves, my kin, serving you humans." She let loose a howl. "Wolves are meant to be wild and free! We're meant to run and hunt to our heart's content!" She growled. "Yet all I saw were obedient traitors."

Tony stood, slowly. "Listen, you must understand. The humans aren't forcing the wolves or mistreating them. Wolves make great companions." He pointed out.

"Companions. More like bodyguards. Humans who are too chicken to fight send their dogs out to fight for them. How many have died because of that?"

Tony bit his lip. It wasn't exactly false. Tame wolves aren't really forced to fight. They're protective instincts take over when their owner is attacked. However, this does result in a lot of injured wolves. Tony frowned. "Then take me."

"What?"

"Let her go and take me. She's a village ruler. Villagers don't really tame wolves. I, however, am all human."

The wolf thought for a moment. She walked over to Atlas and sniffed. "Hm, I suppose you aren't human." She stood and waved. The wolves began nudging her away from the cave. Atlas looked at Tony. "Are you sure about this?"

Tony nodded. "Of course. Just make sure everyone knows I'm okay." He waved as Atlas was ushered out of the cave. The librarian looked at the cave for a moment before running towards the Human Settlement rendezvous.

Tony looked at his captor and kneeled. "Well, since you are the ruler, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make peace."

The wolf girl smirked. "There are no rulers here. We are free." She licked her lips. "Well, except for you." She grabbed his arm and led him to a large hole in the ground. She tossed him in and laughed. "Here you will stay until called upon. All of this peace talk while my kin are still enslaved? Now, human, it's _your_ turn to be _our_ slave." She smirked. Tony sat in the hole, trying to think of any way to get out of this. ' _She obviously has a bone to pick with humans. However, if I can show her that her wolves are perfectly fine in the settlement, maybe she'll lighten up?'_ He sighed. "Then again, that might be hard to do if we can't get near the settlement." He laid down on the stone floor, trying to come up with a plan.


End file.
